.  R.  A.— B.  S.  13. 

UNIV-  PMTsfcEPT 

PWs.  Di^PA'RjrMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 


S.  R.  A. — B.  S.  13.  Issued   November   20,    1916. 


-     i EUR^U  OF 

i 

__ Hbnry  W. 

U.S.  DEPOSrrOPv        _) 


— Hbnry  W.  Henshaw,  Chief  of  Bnreau. 


SERVICE  AND  REGULATORY  ANNOUNCEMENTS. 


REGULATIONS  FOR  THE  ISSUE  OF  PERMITS  FOR  QUAIL  IM- 
PORTED INTO  THE  UNITED  STATES  FROM  NORTHEASTERN 
MEXICO. 

Effective  November  13,   1916. 

Under  authority  of  section  1  of  the  act  of  Congress  approved  May  25,  1900 
(31  Stat..  187),  authorizing  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  to  adopt  such  meas 
ures  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  preservation,  distribution,  and  introduction 
of  game  birds,  and  of  section  241  of  the  act  of  Congress  approved  March  4,  1909 
(35  Stat.,  1088).  prohibiting  the  importation  into  the  United  States  of  such 
birds  as  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  may  declare  to  be  injurious  to  the  inter- 
ests of  agriculture  or  horticulture  and  prohibiting  the  importation  of  any 
foreign  wild  bird  except  under  permit  from  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  per- 
mits for  the  importation  of  quail  from  northeastern  Mexico  will  be  issued  on 
and  after  November  13,  1916,  and  until  further  notice,  but  in  order  to  prevent 
the  entry  of  quail  infected  with  the  disease  commonly  known  as  "  quail 
disease  "  such  permits  will  be  issued,  subject  to  inspection  and  quarantine  of 
the  birds,  under  the  following  regulations. 

D.  F.  Houston, 
Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


REGULATIONS  GOVERNING  THE  IMPORTATION   OF   QUAIL  INTO 
THE   UNITED    STATES   FROM   NORTHEASTERN   MEXICO. 

Pursuant  to  authority  conferred  by  law  upon  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  and  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  permits  for  the  impor- 
tation of  quail  from  northeastern  Mexico  will  be  issued  by  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture,  but  in  order  to  prevent  the  entry  of  quail 
infected  with  the  disease  commonly  known  as  "  quail  disease  "  such 
permits  will  be  issued  subject  to  the  following  rules  and  regulations: 

REGULATION    1.— APPLICATIONS    FOR    PERMITS. 

Applications  for  permits  must  be  made  to  the  Secretary  of  Agri- 
culture, Washington,  D.  C,  and  must  state  the  name  and  address  of 
the  applicant,  the  place  of  shipment,  whether  the  birds  will  be 
offered  for  entry  at  Eagle  Pass,  Tex.,  or  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  the 
date  of  probable  arrival  at  port  of  entry,  the  approximate  number 
of  birds  in  the  consignment,  and  the  name  •  and  address  of  the 
consignee. 

69169—16 


2  BUREAU    OF    BIOLOGICAL    SURVEY. 

REGULATION  2.— PORTS  OF  ENTRY. 

For  the  purposes  of  these  regulations  the  ports  of  Eagle  Pass, 
Tex.,  and  New  York.  N.  Y.,  shall  be  inspection  and  quarantine 
stations,  and  permits  will  not  be  issued  for  the  entry  of  quail  from 
northeastern  Mexico  through  any  other  port. 

REGULATION   3.— INSPECTION. 

Quail  from  northeastern  Mexico  will  be  subject  to  examination  by 
an  inspector  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry  before  they  will  be 
allowed  to  enter.  Birds  entered  at  Eagle  Pass,  Tex.,  will  be  subject 
to  inspection  and  quarantine  for  a  time  sufficient  to  cover  the  period 
of  incubation  of  quail  disease,  but  not  less  than  10  days,  counting 
from  date  of  arrival  at  the  quarantine  station.  Birds  entered  at  New 
York  which  have  been  under  observation  during  the  voyage  for  suffi- 
cient time  to  cover  the  period  of  incubation  of  the  disease  may  be 
entered,  in  the  discretion  of  the  inspector,  without  further  delay  if 
found  on  inspection  to  be  free  from  disease,  but  if  any  symptoms 
indicative  of  quail  disease  are  present  the  entire  consignment  shall 
be  quarantined  for  a  period  not  less  than  10  days  and  held  subject 
to  special  instructions  from  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

REGULATION   4.— PERMITS. 

Permits  for  the  entry  of  quail  from  northeastern  Mexico  will  be 
issued  only  to  applicants  who  are  prepared  to  ship  the  birds  in 
sanitary  crates  and  to  care  for  them  properly  during  the  period  of 
quarantine.  Crowding  birds  in  crates  in  excess  of  the  limit  herein- 
after specified,  removal  of  dead  birds  without  submitting  them  for 
examination  by  the  inspector,  failure  to  clean  or  disinfect  inclosures 
or  crates  or  to  maintain  or  ship  the  birds  in  a  sanitary  condition  after 
due  notice  by  the  inspector  will  be  considered  sufficient  grounds  for 
withholding  further  permits  during  the  season. 

REGULATION  5. 

Permits  will  be  issued  only  for  the  consignment  of  quail  entered 
on  the  date  indicated  and  not  for  several  consignments  due  to  arrive 
on  different  dates.  If  the  number  entered  is  less  than  the  number 
stated  in  the  permit,  the  excess  over  the  number  imported  can  not 
be  entered  thereafter  under  that  permit  but  must  be  included  in 
another  application  for  permit. 

REGULATION.    6. 

Permits  for  the  entry  of  quail  at  Eagle  Pass,  Tex.,  will  be  issued 
only  after  the  applicant  has  made  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
care  of  the  birds  during  quarantine  and  the  inspector  of  the  Bureau 


SERVICE    AND   REGULATORY   ANNOUNCEMENTS.  3 

of  Animal  Industry  has  approved  the  location  where  the  birds  are 
to  be  quarantined  and  is  satisfied  that  the  applicant  has  an  ample 
supply  of  crates  for  the  proper  accommodation  of  the  birds.  Per- 
mits authorizing  the  entry  of  more  than  1,000  quail  at  one  time  by 
any  one  person  or  his  agents  will  not  be  issued  until  the  inspector 
shall  have  certified  to  the  department  the  number  of  birds  which  can 
be  properly  cared  for  in  quarantine  at  one  time  by  such  applicant. 

REGULATION  7. 

Permits  will  be  indorsed  by  an  inspector  of  the  Bureau  of  Animal 
Industry  "  Inspected  and  found  free  from  quail  disease "  before 
the  quail  are  released  from  quarantine  and  before  the  permits  are 
accepted  by  officers  of  the  customs. 

REGULATION  8.— CRATES. 

Crates  for  the  shipment  of  quail  must  be  constructed  with  a 
tongue-and-grcove  bottom  and  false  top  of  stout  cloth  or  burlap 
stretched  taut  and  smooth,  so  as  to  leave  a  space  not  less  than  1^ 
inches  between  the  cloth  and  the  top  of  the  box.  Each  crate  must 
be  provided  with  a  handle  at  each  end.  Not  more  than  24  quail 
shall  be  placed  in  a  single  small  crate  or  compartment,  and  not  more 
than  48  in  a  double  crate. 

Crates  must  measure  inside  not  less  than  7^  inches  in  height  (from 
floor  to  cloth  cover),  23  inches  in  width,  and  23  inches  in  length; 
and  double  crates  1\  inches  in  height,  23  inches  in  width,  and  15 
inches  in  length,  with  a  partition  separating  the  two  compartments. 
The  partition  must  be  fastened  with  screws  or  otherwise,  so  that  it 
can  be  easily  removed.  The  bottom  must  project  in  front  or  along 
the  sides  2  inches  or  more  to  prevent  crates  from  being  stacked 
close  together  and  thus  cutting  off  ventilation.  Openings  in  the 
side  of  the  crate  at  least  half  an  inch  wide  must  be  left  along  the 
floor  to  facilitate  cleaning,  and  holes  for  ample  ventilation  must  be 
bored  in  the  ends  and  in  the  partition.  Crates  must  have  a  sliding 
door  fitted  on  one  side  large  enough  to  permit  the  birds  to  be  easily 
examined  or  removed. 

Receptacles  for  feed  and  water  must  be  so  made  as  to  insure  thor- 
ough cleaning,  and  must  be  so  arranged  that  they  can  be  fastened 
securely  when  the  crates  are  in  transit,  or  removed  readily  for  clean- 
ing or  refilling.  Food  and  water  receptacles  must  be  arranged  so 
that  they  can  be  filled  from  the  outside  of  the  crate  and  protected 
by  a  low  guard  or  strip  to  prevent  the  birds  from  walking  in  them. 
Bottoms  of  crates  must  be  arranged  so  that  they  can  be  removed 
when  necessary  to  facilitate  proper  cleaning  or  disinfecting. 


4  BUREAU    OF   BIOLOGICAL   SURVEY. 

REGULATION   9.— QUARANTINE. 

During  the  period  of  quarantine  the  birds  must  be  confined  in 
suitable  inclosures  or  crates  and  furnished  with  sufficient  food,  sand, 
gravel,  and  pure  water.  No  quail  will  be  quarantined  on  any  ground 
which  has  been  occupied  by  poultry  during  the  year  immediately 
preceding  or  which  is  within  50  feet  of  any  premises  where  poultry 
is  kept. 

Birds  may  be  quarantined  in  either  inclosures  or  crates.  In- 
closures constructed  of  wire  netting  at  least  8  feet  wide  and  25  feet 
Jong  may  be  used  to  confine  the  birds,  or  the  quail  may  be  kept  in 
crates,  but  not  more  than  200  quail  shall  be  kept  in  the  same  in- 
closure  and  not  more  than  24  quail  in  a  crate  during  quarantine. 
Entry  of  quail  will  not  be  permitted  when  crowded  in  crates  in 
excess  of  the  numbers  specified  in  regulation  8  or  when  confined  in 
ordinary  boxes  or  poultry  crates.  If  shipping  crates  are  used,  the 
birds  in  one  compartment  must  be  transferred  to  a  new  crate  and 
the  partition  removed,  so  that  not  more  than  24  birds  will  be  con- 
fined in  a  space  23  by  45  inches.  Crates  kept  outdoors  must  be  raised 
not  less  than  18  inches  from  the  ground,  and  if  several  crates  are 
stacked  on  top  of  one  another  a  2-inch  strip  of  wood  must  be  placed 
between  the  crates,  and  the  top  crate  must  not  be  more  than  5  feet 
above  the  ground.  In  case  of  rain  or  heavy  winds  provision  must 
be  made  for  covering  the  crates  with  oilcloth  or  heavy  duck. 

All  inclosures  or  crates  must  be  kept  in  a  sanitary  condition  subject 
to  the  approval  of  the  inspector.  Birds  imported  on  different  dates 
must  not  be  confined  together  and  crates  must  be  emptied  before 
being  disinfected.  Importers  will  be  required  at  their  expense  to 
provide  suitable  inclosures  or  crates  for  the  purposes  of  quarantine, 
to  disinfect  the  crates  or  transfer  the  quail  to  new  crates  before  re- 
lease from  quarantine,  and  to  maintain  the  birds  during  quarantine. 

REGULATION   10.— DEAD   BIRDS. 

Bodies  of  birds  which  die  during  the  period  of  quarantine  must 
not  be  destroyed  until  submitted  to  the  inspector  for  preliminary 
examination,  and  if  necessary  such  specimens  will  be  forwarded  to 
the  Department  of  Agriculture  for  further  examination. 

In  case  of  discovery  of  quail  disease  further  entry  of  birds  may  be 
suspended  and  all  outstanding  permits  immediately  canceled. 
These  regulations  shall  become  effective  immediately. 

B.  R.  Newton, 
Acting  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 
D.  F.  Houston, 
Secretary  of  Agriculture. 
Washington,  D.  C,  November  IS,  1916. 

WASHINGTON  I  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  1916 
UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


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